The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-12-31

masculine hearts caught at the rebound
BY this time DR.. Blake knew that his case
was hopeless with the chit of q girl he had
been temporarily Infatuated Should she
strike while the iron was hot?
when Miss Doris and your nephew are
married, you ana | Doctor will be left quite
alone!" said Mrs Mack, with tender look,
which was entirely lost on the D octor, who
had subsidized into his king slnmber. AS
in a vision he again saw Doris deep eyes
look ng into his own with the strange IN
tensity which once before had thrilled him
through and through And, extending his
arms, DR.. Blake said, aloud:
my darling-come.
Mrs Mack saw no vision. The outstretched
arms were joyful reality. So also was
the tender invitation; and without an in
slant Of delay she literally fell on the
Doctors neck, about which her arms
clasped themselves with considerable te-
nae ty.
"P-Paul," she sobbed, Historically, "no,0
shall never leave you-never!" and chung
the tighter to the scarcely awakened doc
tor as Bob, thinking matters had gone quite
far enough, suddenly turned up the gas!
Nov Doris had chosen that evening to tell
her guardian of her future plans Perhaps,
too, she might learn from his own lips that
there was some mistake as to his matri-
monial intentions.
Her foot was on the library threshold as
Bob threw the glow of gaslight on the in
teresting tableau l have just mentioned.
And casting one glance thereat, Doris fed
upstairs to her room. But d she fingered
q moment, Doris would have heard DIR.
Blake utter something akin o mild profan-
F1o a.
as to nearly precipitate the clinging widow
over a hassocki
Mrs. Mack?" he sternly exclaimed, but the
lady, forcfbly overcome by sense of maid
emily modesy, had fed.
And Miss Doris see it ALL" said Bob, in
audible solloquy, as he stood staring in a
dazed sort of way at the open door
go to bed. Bob" sharply commanded DIR.
Blake, in great perturbation of spirit What
could he have said or done in his dreamy
| abstraction that Mrs. Mack, who was the
pink of propre,y, should have thrown her
| self into his arms? Good Heavens, what q
| terrible situation! Come what might he
| would see Doris the first tning in the morn
| ing and explain it
| When a couple of hours after sunrise DR.
! Blake opened his heavy eyes on New Years
| morn, they rested 1T once on framed por-
trait hanging against the opposite wall
| Where had it come from. Who was it iH=
| tended for?
For a closer view showed the Doctor that
the general contour of the features were his
| own. So also was the blonde mustache, but
here to his own mind the resemblance
ceased The likeness between himself and
his nephew Paul had often been comment
ed on This picture might have been Paul
with twenty years added to his age, or him
self with ten subtracted
With sad smile Doctor Blake read the
inscription on a card pinned on the frame.
A New rs gift for my "dear" erased)
guardian from his C"effectionate" erased)
ward
at is plain that Doris forte is not por-
trait painting" he said, with very audible
sigh. And then wondering how he should
introduce the awkward explanation he was
meaning to make, the doctor went down to
| breakfast
Replying rather CURLY to Mrs Macks af-
fectionate New Years greeting, DR. Blake
looked about the room.
an IS Doris not down YETI" he said, with
| affected carelessness
Mrs Mack drew herself up primly.
Sarah tells me, Doctor that at sunrise
| IulS morning sue leu MISS LOFTS out at the
front door fully dressed for travelling and
carrying large hand sachel She gave no
explanation, but simply said she was going
away for good, and in due time would write
us. And from the fact that our milkm n
saw Mr. Pau b AXE with n young lady who
ex c5y answers her description getting in o
the Bosom tr4in at Gas / incline to the
opinion that they have gone off to get mar
lied"